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Jul 1, 2013

The Diversity and Distribution of Seagrass in Singapore

What seagrass species can we find in Singapore? Where can they be found? These and other important seagrass issues have never been rigorously documented. Until now!

TeamSeagrass monitoring the seagrasses at Chek Jawa
just in front of the mangroves there.

Siti, Rachel and Wei Ling have outlined these in their latest paper published in Nature in Singapore of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. They thank the members of TeamSeagrass for all their assistance and untiring dedication to monitoring seagrass in Singapore!

The authors of the paper explain: "Seagrasses were once common on Singapore's shores but, unlike their coral reef and mangrove counterparts, their diversity and extent have never been rigorously documented. This study quantifies the species richness and distribution of seagrass in Singapore waters through herbarium specimens and on-site surveys."

"We also use remote sensing to map in detail the three largest seagrass meadows in Singapore: Chek Jawa Wetlands, Pulau Semakau and Cyrene Reef. These maps represent essential baseline data for future conservation management."

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Why watch seagrasses?!

It MAY seem dead boring to literally watch grass grow. But when it's seagrasses it can get really wild and wacky! Here's the adventures of a team of volunteers keeping a watch on Singapore's amazing marine meadows. As well as seagrassy news. More about Singapore's seagrasses and how to join the Team!